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https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14279/23115
Title: | Advances in Understanding and Managing Catastrophic Ecosystem Shifts in Mediterranean Ecosystems | Authors: | Van den Elsen, Erik Stringer, Lindsay C. De Ita, Cecilia Hessel, Rudi Kéfi, Sonia Schneider, Florian D. Bautista, Susana Mayor, Angeles G. Baudena, Mara Rietkerk, Max Valdecantos, Alejandro Vallejo, Victoriano R. Geeson, Nichola Brandt, C. Jane Fleskens, Luuk Hemerik, Lia Panagos, Panos Valente, Sandra Keizer, Jan J. Schwilch, Gudrun Jucker Riva, Matteo Sietz, Diana Christoforou, Michalakis Hadjimitsis, Diofantos G. Papoutsa, Christiana Quaranta, Giovanni Salvia, Rosanna Tsanis, Ioannis K. Daliakopoulos, Ioannis N. Claringbould, Heleen De Ruiter, Peter C. |
Major Field of Science: | Natural Sciences | Field Category: | Earth and Related Environmental Sciences | Keywords: | Dryland ecosystems;Ecosystem restoration;Multidisciplinary;Resilience;Stakeholder engagement recommendations | Issue Date: | 22-Oct-2020 | Source: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 2020, vol. 8, articl. no. 561101 | Volume: | 8 | Journal: | Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution | Abstract: | One of the most challenging issues in Mediterranean ecosystems to date has been to understand the emergence of discontinuous changes or catastrophic shifts. In the era of the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals, which encompass ideas around Land Degradation Neutrality, advancing this understanding has become even more critical and urgent. The aim of this paper is to synthesize insights into the drivers, processes and management of catastrophic shifts to highlight ways forward for the management of Mediterranean ecosystems. We use a multidisciplinary approach that extends beyond the typical single site, single scale, single approach studies in the current literature. We link applied and theoretical ecology at multiple scales with analyses and modeling of human–environment–climate relations and stakeholder engagement in six field sites in Mediterranean ecosystems to address three key questions: How do major degradation drivers affect ecosystem functioning and services in Mediterranean ecosystems? What processes happen in the soil and vegetation during a catastrophic shift? How can management of vulnerable ecosystems be optimized using these findings? Drawing together the findings from the use of different approaches allows us to address the whole pipeline of changes from drivers through to action. We highlight ways to assess ecosystem vulnerability that can help to prevent ecosystem shifts to undesirable states; identify cost-effective management measures that align with the vision and plans of land users; and evaluate the timing of these measures to enable optimization of their application before thresholds are reached. Such a multidisciplinary approach enables improved identification of early warning signals for discontinuous changes informing more timely and cost-effective management, allowing anticipation of, adaptation to, or even prevention of, undesirable catastrophic ecosystem shifts. | URI: | https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14279/23115 | ISSN: | 2296701X | DOI: | 10.3389/fevo.2020.561101 | Rights: | © van den Elsen, Stringer, De Ita, Hessel, Kéfi, Schneider, Bautista, Mayor, Baudena, Rietkerk, Valdecantos, Vallejo, Geeson, Brandt, Fleskens, Hemerik, Panagos, Valente, Keizer, Schwilch, Jucker Riva, Sietz, Christoforou, Hadjimitsis, Papoutsa, Quaranta, Salvia, Tsanis, Daliakopoulos, Claringbould and de Ruiter. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International |
Type: | Article | Affiliation : | Wageningen University & Research University of Leeds University of York Univ Montpellier Institute for Social-Ecological Research, Biodiversity and People Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Center BiK-F University of Alicante Utrecht University Fundación de la Comunidad Valenciana Centro de Estudios Ambientales del Mediterráneo Unidad Mixta de Investigación Universidad de Alicante University of Barcelona Fondazione MEDES European Commission's Joint Research Centre University of Aveiro University of Bern Federal Office for the Environment Bern University of Applied Sciences Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research Cyprus University of Technology ERATOSTHENES Centre of Excellence University of Basilicata Technical University of Crete Hellenic Mediterranean University University of Amsterdam |
Publication Type: | Peer Reviewed |
Appears in Collections: | Άρθρα/Articles |
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